Video

Jan 2, 2016 | 01:17

Ukrainians mark birthday anniversary of controversial nationalist

Ukrainians march in central Kiev to celebrate what would have been the 107th birthday of controversial nationalist Stepan Bandera, a hero to some, a Nazi collaborator to others. Rough Cut - Subtitled (No reporter narration).

TRANSCRIPT +

ROUGH CUT - SUBTITLED (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
More than a thousand people marched through the streets of Ukrainian capital Kiev on Friday (January 1), waving Ukrainian flags and chanting nationalist slogans to to celebrate the 107th anniversary of Ukrainian nationalist hero Stepan Bandera's birth.
Chanting "Glory to Ukraine!" people walked waving the red and black flags of Ukraine's nationalist movement and the blue and yellow flags of the far-right Svoboda, or "Freedom", party.
Stepan Bandera, who led the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists in the first part of the 20th century is seen in areas of western Ukraine as a hero of the independence struggle but regarded by many in Poland and Israel as well as Russia as a terrorist and Nazi collaborator who died with the blood of thousands on his conscience.
Bandera's controversial legacy has been at the center of the protests that ousted Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovich and replaced him with a pro-European government almost two years ago.
After Yanukovich fled, Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in March 2014 and has been accused by Ukraine and the West of backing a rebellion by separatists in eastern Ukraine.

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